REPORT ON AIKSCC’S KISAN MUKTI SANSAD

THE AIKSCC, a coordination of 184 kisan organizations, after countrywide campaigns, organized two days "Kisan Mukti Sansad" at Parliament Street, Delhi on 20-21 November. With tens of thousands of kisans from different states marched from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street. Comrades from AIKKS and Bhangar Committee also participated. The Kisan Mukti Sansad focused its demands for complete loan waiver and for remunerative prices for agricultural products in the context of increasing suicides of farmers in all States. While addressing the Mukthi Sansad though many leaders focused on these issues, many tried to put forward issues like “land to the tiller” and “need based minimum wages for rural workers”. Comrade Baburam, all India president of the AIKKS and comrade Sharmistha leading the Bhangar Comrades addressing the Mukthi Sansad on 21st November at Parliament street focussed on the need to include these demands of the agricultural workers snd poor peasants. Com. Sharmistha explained how displacement from land and Grid Line projects are impoverishing the Marginal peasants. The Kisan movement should address these problems as well as the gender issue.

In its existence of less than six months, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) has created the largest ever coalition of farmers’ organisations in the country, cutting across states and agro-climatic regions. By organising Kisan Mukti Yatras covering nearly 10,000 kms over three months, the AIKSCC has created a nation-wide footprint for itself, besides deepening of consciousness among the farming and the non-farming communities.

The massive Kisan Mukti Sansad has been a major milestone in this journey. It demonstrated the capacity of this coalition for ground mobilisation across the country and succeeded in registering the plight of the farmers and their demands before the country. The first ever Women’s Parliament was a critical acknowledge-ment of the role of women as farmers. By formulating and presenting two Bills centred around its two demands, the AIKSCC has demonstrated that it is not merely about protests and opposition, it is a common resource for policy alternatives on Indian agriculture.

The Kisan Sansad has resolves to intensify the struggle. In the next phase a nation-wide Campaign on two bills will begin on 26th of November in Baardoli (Gujarat). The campaign will culminate in a Kisan Mukti Diwas on 26th of January all over the country. 